Due to safety concerns, Grand Valley State University officials say they removed a campus sculpture Sept. 17 that students had begun riding to parody the music video of Miley Cyrus' hit song "Wrecking Ball." An internal committee, including students, will meet Monday to come up with a plan for returning the bifilar pendulum.Grand Valley State University

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The head of facilities for Grand Valley State University said students will know the future of the sculpture receiving national attention because of a nude parody of Miley Cyrus' video for the hit song "Wrecking Ball" in the "very short-term."

In the video for "Wrecking Ball," Cyrus swings around nude on a large metal ball that is similar to what artist Dale Aldred's campus sculpture called a bifilar pendulum. The Grand Valley piece was removed Sept. 17 for safety concerns.

Tim Thimmesch, associate vice president for facilities services, said the 10-person internal committee that includes three students is charged with coming up with a plan for reinstalling the sculpture won't be spending months on their assignment. He said the first meeting will be Monday, Sept. 30, at a time to be determined.

The three students serving on the committee are Sean Hamilton, a physics student; Timothy Layer, from the university's Student Senate; and Steven Quirk, who is president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, according to Mary Eilleen Lyon, associate vice president for news and information services.

"We want to reinstall it safely and for it to come back as a scientific exhibit with enhanced signage," said Thimmesch, who said they are awaiting a report from outside consultants regarding the structural issues. "We are going to get in there and look at those issues."

Thimmesch said the students were recommended by department heads. He said other committee members include staff from the facilities and science departments.

He said repairs, including replacing the steel cable harness and the worn out eye bolt at the top of the pendulum, are planned.

"It could go some place else, but we are focused on returning it to the original site," said Thimmesch, about the sculpture that's resided near the Padnos Hall of Science since 1995 but has been around about 40 years.